CLYDE COASTGUARD COORDINATE SEARCHES FOR MISSING MOTORBOATER AND MISSING DIVER

CLYDE COASTGUARD COORDINATE SEARCHES FOR MISSING MOTORBOATER AND MISSING DIVER
Clyde Coastguard received a call from Strathclyde Police reporting an overdue vessel with one person onboard at 1.00 pm yesterday afternoon (Monday). The vessel ‘Destiny’ had departed Rothesay on Saturday 21st July heading for Whiting Bay, Isle of Arran. There had been no contact with the person on board the vessel since Sunday morning and the family were concerned for his safety. After several attempts to contact the vessel, the Coastguard made urgent broadcasts to all shipping. Coastguard rescue teams from Arran, Cumbrae, Kames, Rothesay and Carradale began a shoreline search. RNLI lifeboats from Arran and Tighnabruaich were requested to launch and carry out a search for the vessel.
Despite the broadcasts, land and sea search, nothing was found.
At 8.00 pm Clyde Coastguard received a 999 call reporting a red flare sighting off Troon Harbour. Troon RNLI Lifeboat and Ayr Coastguard Rescue Teams investigated and located the man in a dinghy. His boat, ‘Destiny’, had sunk off Ardrossan and he had taken to his dinghy which had drifted north towards Troon. He had then set off a distress flare. The man was recovered by Troon Lifeboat and taken to Troon Harbour where an ambulance was waiting. The man was taken to Ayr Hospital to be checked over.
In another incident yesterday evening Clyde Coastguard received a call from a dive vessel reporting a missing diver,  10 miles northwest of Corsewall Point. Girvan & Campbeltown RNLI all weather lifeboats, a Royal Navy helicopter, fishing vessels Argen, Kingfisher and Aquinis and divers from the dive vessel have all been searching but sadly no sign of the missing diver has been found.
Graeme Watters, Clyde Coastguard Watch Manager says:
“We were very pleased to have found the missing motorboater following such an extensive search. He is now safe and well despite his ordeal.”

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